Everything else in this section is about not getting robbed. This one is about the other half of the problem: you have a hole in your roof and you need somebody good, and you need them soon.
Start with your insurance company
Call your carrier before you call a contractor. Most have a preferred or approved contractor network — firms they have already vetted, whose pricing they have agreed, and whose work they will stand behind.
Using one usually means the carrier deals with the contractor over price and scope directly, instead of you being stuck in the middle. It is the fastest route and the one most people do not know exists.
You are not obliged to use their list. But get it, and treat it as a starting shortlist.
Then the sources that are actually checkable
Wisconsin credential search — you can search the state database to find credentialed contractors, not only to check one you have already met. Anyone doing most residential work needs a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier credential.
Home Builders Association of the Fox Cities — a local trade association whose members are established local firms. They have put up a storm resources page for this tornado, and their own tips for choosing a contractor. Straight to the trade you need:
Questions: 920-731-7931, 920 W Association Dr, Appleton. Membership is not a guarantee of quality — it means dues paid and a code of ethics signed, which is a floor rather than a ceiling. Still check the state credential for anyone you shortlist.
Better Business Bureau — search the business name, and read the complaints rather than just the rating.
Your neighbours. After a storm this size, the highest-signal source is the block itself. Somebody two doors down has already had a roof done. You can look at the work, and they will tell you the truth about how it went.
The hard truth about timelines
Good local contractors are booked for months after an EF-3. That is not them brushing you off — it is arithmetic. Thousands of roofs came off in one afternoon.
So be suspicious of anyone who can start tomorrow. Either they are from out of state and will be gone before the warranty matters, or they have no work locally, and after a storm like this there is usually a reason for that.
A tarp now and a proper repair in October is a normal, correct outcome. Get the building watertight, document everything, and take your time choosing who does the permanent work. Rushing that decision is how people end up with the worst outcomes.
If you already signed something you regret
Wisconsin gives you three business days to cancel a contract over $25 that you signed at your home, or anywhere other than the contractor's own place of business.
The three days do not start until the contractor hands you written notice of that right — two copies of it, which the law requires them to give you when you sign. If they never gave you that notice, your cancellation window has not started, and you may still be able to cancel even weeks later.
Cancel in writing, keep a copy, and note the date. Once you cancel, they have 10 days to refund everything you paid.
Wisconsin Consumer Protection: 800-422-7128. They enforce this, and violations carry real penalties.
